Pipe cutters exist in all shapes and sizes. They range from the small, copper tubing cutters used by plumbers, to enormous cutters weighing several tons that are used in factories and steel production facilities.
However, cutters for pipes of a size range of up to six inches generally are of the multi-ton immobile type, requiring that the pipe be brought into the factory or to the site where the cutter is located.
Obviously, this is inappropriate for a field cutter, where a pipe may require cutting along a continuous length. It is impossible to bring the pipe into the factory. Thus, generally the pipe must be cut with some kind of saw, which may be awkward due to the confined spaces in which the pipe may be found. Sawing may also take a considerable length of time. Much of it may have to be done manually, requiring considerable physical effort.
Although there are some portable cutters that will cut pipes with such diameters, nonetheless they tend to be awkward in use and not really very portable at all. There is a need for a truly portable cutter, which can even be moved independently from its motor, and assembled piece by piece around a pipe, on location.